THE HULK DARRA

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26293, 12 December 1950, Page 7

THE HULK DARRA

YEARS AS CUPPER IN AUSTRALIAN TRADE With her lofty rig restored, topsides rebuilt, and ports painted, the hulk Darra is ready to fulfil her part on Saturday as the Charlotte Jane in the re-enactment of the arrival of that vessel at Lyttelton 100 years ago. Yet the Darra has a history of her own w'hich far surpasses that of the Charlotte Jane, ft includes a run from London to Adelaide of 70 day*, a very smart performance. The Darra was owned by Anderson, Anderson and Company. The flr»t of this firm’s fleet was the Orient, and this vessel gave her name to the Orient Line of clipper ships and later of steamships. Anderson. Anderson and Company had a number of small ships and barques trading to the West Indies. Turning its attention to the South Amiralis’) trade, the firm, determined to have the fastest ships procurable, ordered six composite clipper*, three from Bilbe. of London, ana three from Hall. 6t Aberdeen. From Hall’s yard the Darra was launched in 1865. just 17 years after the launching at Bristol of the‘Charlotte Jane, 'rhe DaTr.i was a full-rigged ship of 899 tons, and was for many year* engaged with s;x other beautiful composite ship* of the Orient Line in the immigrant trade to Adelaide.

Later the Darra was reduced to barque rig. and in 1899 she took fire in Sydney. She was salvaged, and sailed to Dunedin. Later she was towed to Lyttelton for service as a hulk for the Westport Coal Company. Basil Lubbock, in “Colonial Clippers.’’ records the trio of 70 daL from London to Adelaide. On that occasion, he says, the Dutra's captain wrote home that she “dived off the Cape (of Good Hope) and came up to blow off the Leeuwin.”